CHILLED CHARMS (NEW RELEASE⭐)

CHAPTER 1

“It's so cold I think my whiskers are developing icicles,” Felix complained, snuggling closer to my neck.

“I suspect you're right,” I replied, cuddling my familiar.

My little black cat was perched on my shoulder while I juggled several baskets and bags in my hands and picked my way along the icy path that led to my neighbor’s estate.

Sir Victor Reynolds was throwing a fancy winter gala this evening.

That in itself wouldn’t have been particularly remarkable—except that the guests were vampires, the host was a self-proclaimed vegan vampire, and the real mansion where the party was being held lay underground.

From the outside, Sir Victor’s house looked perfectly ordinary—well, for an outrageously massive mansion with a hedge maze, several decorative towers that rose above the snow-covered trees, and lovely landscaped gardens that rivaled the ones my aunt had cultivated at the Atherington Estate.

But inside, everything was upside down.

The plain little rooms above ground were reserved for the servants, while the opulent ballrooms and salons—and the massive aquarium Sir Victor was so proud of—were buried beneath the earth and reached by two sweeping staircases that descended below the house.

Felix eyed the manor suspiciously.

“I don’t trust upside-down houses,” he muttered.

“You don't trust anything,” I pointed out.

“Not true,” Felix said. “I trust cream, roasted chicken, and my own impeccable judgment.”

I rolled my eyes, then shifted the baskets in my arms as I picked my way up the path.

Sir Victor had insisted that I both cater and attend the gala as a guest, since I grew—according to him—the most scrumptious magical produce in all the land.

He also had high hopes that once the donors had sampled my fresh vegetables, they and the vampires they were attached to would finally see the light and convert to veganism.

Personally, I couldn’t really see the logic in that. Sir Victor called himself a vegan vampire, but vampires still had to drink blood whether or not it came from a vegan source.

Still, I knew better than to argue about dietary philosophy with my eccentric next-door neighbor.

So I’d spent the last few weeks growing bushels of fresh fruit and vegetables for the event. Most of it had already been delivered to his estate, which meant I only had to bring along a few last-minute supplies—as well as my high heels, since I couldn’t very well wear them while navigating the snow that covered our estates like a soft blanket of cotton and lace.

Felix shifted impatiently on my shoulder.

“Why couldn’t we just hitch a ride with Anita?” he asked. “Isn’t she coming to the party too?”

“She is,” I replied. “But she's ferrying a VIP tonight, and I didn’t want to bother her for such a short trip.”

My best friend, Anita Callwood, was one of Blisswood’s licensed broomstick-taxi flyers. Her magical broom—Laura—was the most beautiful besom I’d ever seen, with soft, colorful bristles and comfortable carved wooden seats.

In hindsight, perhaps I should have asked for a lift after all.

My magic was growing, but I still wasn’t confident enough to enchant the baskets to make them featherlight, and it was hard navigating the icy path while carrying so many things.

“VIP?” Felix snorted. “I didn’t know we had such people in Blisswood. Don’t tell me it’s Abigail Puddleduck. That one fancies herself a VIP, but I think she’s just a very irritable pain in the heinie.”

“A V-I-P-I-H?” I spelled out.

“Or viper for short.”

I bit my lip, suppressing laughter. "I had no idea you disliked her that much. It's not on my behalf, is it?"

Abigail Puddleduck and I had had several unpleasant encounters since I'd moved to Blisswood. I suspected that we were due for another one any day now since Jack and I had officially begun dating. Abigail had shown plenty of signs of being enamoured of Jack herself so I had taken great pains to avoid her recently.

"Well, my disdain reached new heights when she sicced her bullhuahua on me last week."

"Oh no, was that the day you came back limping?" I leaned my head sideways and cuddled my little familiar a little closer. "But I thought you said you sprained your leg during your, ahem, nightly rounds."

Felix was not only my cute little familiar, he was also the town's resident Lothario.

"I did. I was serenading a pretty little tortoiseshell at the florist that night when Abigail opened her windows and sent her little minion after me." Felix sniffed. "I gave as good as I got, of course." He raised his paw delicately. "Three swipes across his face. I daresay he bears my mark still."

"Oh dear," I grimaced. It looked like I would have to put in extra effort into avoiding Abigail. "I wish you hadn't. Abigail will really be out for my blood now."

"She already hates you for dating Jack. And besides, it was self defense! He attacked first and I would have lost my leg if I hadn't struck back."

"Well, in that case, I'm glad you did." I replied indignantly. "You should have told me what happened, though."

Jack or no Jack, I would have paid Abigail a visit if I'd known Felix's fight with her bullhuahua was that serious.

"Well, the little miss was very impressed by my bravery," Felix replied loftily. "So much so that it had quite slipped my mind by the time I got back."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I was the one in an official relationship, but Felix still somehow managed to show me up in the bedroom department.

"It’s because Jack is always so busy," Felix said, no doubt having sneaked a peek into my mind. "And speaking of him, why couldn't he have given us a lift to the party? Is his flying motorcycle in the workshop?"

"No, it isn’t. But he can’t because he’s already there. He's been there for hours babysitting the vampires and—"

A loud whoosh drowned out my next words.

I froze and looked up just in time to see a huge gilded white coach appear in the sky above me, towed by none other than Anita.

“Look out below!” she called out as she zoomed down at top speed.

I had just been about to step off the path and onto the forecourt in front of Sir Victor’s mansion, but I quickly dove out of the way just in time for the coach to slam down where we’d been.

“Anita!” I called out. “You almost hit me!”

“Sorry!” she called as she hopped off her broom.

Her face was flushed and harried, and she had already unhooked her broom from the coach and was wringing the handle like it was a rag cloth. “I had to touch down as soon as possible, though. You’ll see why in a sec.”

Without further ado, she hurried to the door of the coach, then threw it open.

“We’re here!” she called out. Then she cleared her throat. “Ahem, I said we’re h—ere!”

I leaned around her to peer inside the coach.

Its interior was the height of luxury, with velvet seats, gold-trimmings, and crystalline lamps providing soft, golden illumination.

And seated on the back bench—practically on the lap of the man she was with—was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, dressed in a figure-hugging crimson dress.

She had straight dark hair that fell like a waterfall past her shoulders, pale, dewy skin that darkened to a rosy hue at her cheeks, and glittering blue eyes that outshone the ruby choker ringing her slender neck. A sapphire tennis bracelet caught the light as she swept a strand of hair back from her face—a perfect match for her eyes, if not her dress.

“Oh, have we arrived?” the woman asked, untangling herself from her companion.

The man—no, vampire, judging from his even paler complexion, predatory gaze, and the hint of fangs under his lips—gave Anita and me a cursory look, then followed Lila out of the coach, moving as smoothly and gracefully as a leopard stalking its prey.

I watched them head up the steps to Sir Victor’s mansion. The woman was in the lead, but the man seemed to exude a possessive aura just by his presence behind her.

“Who is that?” I gasped as they were greeted at the front door.

“Lila Lovegood, Victor’s new donor,” Anita whispered from the corner of her mouth. “And that’s Lord Balfear, Victor’s best friend and biggest rival.”

I glanced at Anita, eyebrows quirked. Best friend and rival?

“Vampires,” she muttered. “Best not to ask.”

“Is that why you nearly ran me over? Because of Lord Balfear?” I huffed, making my own way towards the front door.

Anita trailed alongside me, pausing only to stow her broom into the ether. She too was dressed for the party, in an elegant emerald dress with split skirts—for riding her broomstick, I presumed—and an updo that had somehow not come loose despite her flying.

“No, I nearly ran you over because I was afraid they’d end up having so much ‘fun’ together that they’d give the party a miss,” Anita gestured at the two who were still ahead of us. “Can you imagine the bloodbath that would have resulted in?

I froze, her words finally sinking in. “Wait, you said she’s Victor’s donor, and he’s—”

“His friend and rival,” Anita completed, nodding. “Word on the street is that Lord Balfear’s the most powerful vampire in the neighborhood. Now, shh!”

I snapped my mouth shut, swallowing my reply as we were greeted by the front door by Victor’s butler, who immediately began helping me with my baskets of produce.

Nevertheless, something made me glance towards the grand staircase at the other end of the hallway, just in time to catch Lord Balfear glancing back at us with a small grin on his face.

For a moment, I was struck by how handsome he was. Classically so, with a sculpted jaw, Grecian nose, and a brow that appeared broad and noble.

Felix’s claws pricked my shoulder.

“I don’t like that one,” he muttered.

“I don’t like him either,” I replied hastily, aghast that I’d actually been captivated by Lord Balfear—even for just a few moments.

The grin widened, allowing a peek of fang to show.

Uh oh. Had he heard me?

I grabbed Felix and cuddled him close again, staring uneasily as Lord Balfear took Lila’s arm and started his descent down to the real mansion where the party was about to begin.

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